The Jackets head to Miami today for the second leg of their two game road trip, this time to take on the undefeated St. John’s Red Storm. The Saturday afternoon matchup is part of the Hoophall Miami Invitational, an all day event which features four different college basketball matchups.
The Red Storm sit at 6-0 on the year, however they’ve yet to really be tested. Their toughest matchup of the year came against Rutgers, projected to finish dead last in the Big Ten this season. They have looked vulnerable at times, with a few close games, including an 84-80 win over Bowling Green, an 82-79 win over Cal, and an 87-86 overtime win over VCU.
St. John’s are led by a pair of highly touted juniors in Shamorie Ponds and Mustapha Heron. Ponds is averaging 20 ppg while Heron, a transfer from Auburn, is averging 18.2 ppg. Ponds and Heron aren’t the only ones providing scoring for the Red Storm however, as they have two other double digit scorers in LJ Figueroa and Marvin Clark II. The St. John’s roster drops off significantly if the Jackets can shut down the top options for the Red Storm.
One of x-factors for this one could be the turnover differential. The Red storm rarely turn the ball over on offense and conversely, on the defensive side, they force opponents to cough the ball up at one of the highest rates in the country. Meanwhile, the Jackets have been plagued by turnovers all season. To have any chance today, they will have to hold onto the ball.
Game Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPNU
Radio: Georgia Tech Gameday App
Where to Stream: WatchESPN
Game Notes: Georgia Tech | St. John’s
Betting Odds: GT +3
Join us below during the game and head over to Rumble In The Garden for some St. John’s coverage!